Regenerative receivers...

[Sandy W5TVW]

        Some musings about the wonderful regenerative receiver which can be
possibly the most cantankerous "simple" circuit in the radio art!

        Quite a few of the "old books" emphasize the use of ceramic/isolantite/
porcelin/steatite etc. tube and coil sockets for best performance.  Being
something of a "hard head" or "mule head" about some things (maybe it's
because of my partial German heritage!), I have sometimes ignored this
warning.......to my detriment!
        I have steered clear of the cheap phenolic "wafer" sockets simply
because
they are cheap looking and flimsy.  I have used the Amphenol black bakelite
sockets however.  My advice is: *don't*!  I have also used the light brown
moulded "mica filled bakelite" sockets as well.  These have, for the most part,
"worked out", but from now on, I intend to heed the advice of the old, old
timers
and use nothing but a ceramic type socket for both the plug-in detector coils
and the detector tube.
        I have had some very remarkable results from "one tubers" using
ceramic sockets, only to have failure, or at least partial failure, using
something inferior to ceramic in the SAME CIRCUITS THAT WORKED SO WELL
before!
        I would, therefore, advise every regen receiver affectionado homebrewer
to use only ceramic sockets for detector tube and coil sockets.  The old guys
might not have been insulation experts, but they knew what they were about
here, and my "empirical engineering" has proved it to be true.
        You have your hands full building a regenny.  No use complicating
matters
with unsuitable parts!  The same goes for coil forms as well.....something
mica filled bakelite or better preferably.
        Have fun building!
73,
Sandy W5TVW

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